US5046759A — Braided fabric structure for seamless fabric conf…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 90 words

An air bag restraint system for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision comprising: a seamless inflatable confinement adapted for attachment to said vehicle and being inflatable upon collision of said vehicle, said confinement being constructed from a seamless fabric comprising braided fibers or yarns; and inflating means for inflating said inflatable confinement with a fluid upon the occurrence of a collision; wherein said confinement is inflated by said inflating means to a predetermined shape upon a collision, said shape being determined by characteristics of said braided fabric.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 90 words

An air bag restraint system for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision comprising: a seamless inflatable confinement adapted for attachment to said vehicle and being inflatable upon collision of said vehicle, said confinement being constructed from a seamless fabric comprising braided fibers or yarns; and inflating means for inflating said inflatable confinement with a fluid upon the occurrence of a collision; wherein said confinement is inflated by said inflating means to a predetermined shape upon a collision, said shape being determined by characteristics of said braided fabric.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said braided fabric comprises strands of multiple fibers which are interlocked by diagonally crossing a number of said strands such that each strand alternates over and under one or more of said other strands.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said strands are not parallel to the fabric axis.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 12 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said fabric comprises braided textile yarn.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 12 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said yarn is polyester or nylon.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an elastomer coating upon said braided fabric.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said elastomer coating is chloroprene, silicon, nitrile, acrylic, urethane, butyl or EPDM.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the elastomer coating is present in a thickness ranging from about 0.5 to 10 mils.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the braided fabric is sufficiently porous to allow the confinement to deflate after inflation.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for deflating said inflatable confinement.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 24 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said deflating means comprises a plurality of ports in said confinement through which said fluid exits said confinement.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said deflating means includes a portion wherein said braided fabric has a yarn density which renders said fabric at least semi-porous to allow said fluid to exit therethrough.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 11 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid is a gas.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 122 words

In a passive air restraint device having an air bag inflatable upon a collision, inflating means to inflate said air bag upon said collision and collision detection means to detect a collision of magnitude at least equal to a threshold magnitude, the improvement which comprises a seamless air bag formed from a braided fabric constructed by strands of multiple fibers which are interlocked by diagonally crossing a number of said strands such that each strand alternates over and under one or more said other strands, wherein said strands are not parallel to the axis of said braided fabric, said braided fabric capable of conforming to a predetermined shape and wherein said seamless air bag is deflatable and inflatable to said predetermined shape.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 122 words

In a passive air restraint device having an air bag inflatable upon a collision, inflating means to inflate said air bag upon said collision and collision detection means to detect a collision of magnitude at least equal to a threshold magnitude, the improvement which comprises a seamless air bag formed from a braided fabric constructed by strands of multiple fibers which are interlocked by diagonally crossing a number of said strands such that each strand alternates over and under one or more said other strands, wherein said strands are not parallel to the axis of said braided fabric, said braided fabric capable of conforming to a predetermined shape and wherein said seamless air bag is deflatable and inflatable to said predetermined shape.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 37 words

The apparatus of claim 14 which further comprises an elastomer coating upon said braided fabric so as to render the fabric either non-porous and essentially non-permeable, or semi-permeable to a fluid used for inflating the air bag.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said elastomer coating is chloroprene, silicon, nitrile, acrylic, urethane, polyvinyl chloride, butyl or EPDM.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said elastomer coating is cured by heat, radiation, aerobic or moisture cure mechanisms.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 18 words

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the thickness of the elastomer coating ranges from 0.5 to 10 mils.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said fabric is braided polyester or nylon yarn.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said air bag includes means for deflating same.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said deflating means include a portion wherein said braided fabric has a yarn density compactness which renders said fabric at least semi-porous.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 93 words

A method for manufacturing an inflatable confinement for use in protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, which method comprises: providing a mold having an exterior surface forming a desired shape; forming a seamless fabric confinement by braiding yarns about said exterior surface of said mold to form a seamless braided fabric structure having said desired shape; and removing said seamless braided fabric structure from said mold to obtain an inflatable confinement capable of being inflated to said desired shape or being deflated to a compact configuration for storage of same.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 93 words

A method for manufacturing an inflatable confinement for use in protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, which method comprises: providing a mold having an exterior surface forming a desired shape; forming a seamless fabric confinement by braiding yarns about said exterior surface of said mold to form a seamless braided fabric structure having said desired shape; and removing said seamless braided fabric structure from said mold to obtain an inflatable confinement capable of being inflated to said desired shape or being deflated to a compact configuration for storage of same.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 22 wherein said mold is inflatable to form said desired shape.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 23 which further comprises deflating said inflatable mold so as to facilitate removal of said braided fabric therefrom.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 22 wherein said forming step comprises interlocking said yarns by diagonally crossing a plurality of said yarns such that each yarn alternates over and under one or more of the other yarns.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 25 which further comprises selecting said yarns from the group consisting of polyester or nylon textile yarns.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 22 which further comprises applying an elastomer coating to said structure after forming said desired shape.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 27 wherein said elastomer coating is chloroprene, acrylic, silicone, nitrile, urethane, PVC, butyl and EPDM, and cured prior to removing said structure from the mold.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 123 words

A method of manufacturing a seamless inflatable confinement for use in passive air bag restraint devices, which method comprises: inflating an inflatable mold to a predetermined size having an exterior surface of a desired shape; braiding textile yarns upon said exterior surface of said inflatable mold by diagonally crossing a plurality of said yarns such that each yarn alternates over and under one or more of the other yarns so as to form a seamless braided fabric structure of interlocked yarns in said desired shape; deflating said inflatable mold; and removing said seamless braided fabric structure from said mold to obtain an inflatable confinement capable of being inflated to said desired shape or being deflated to a compact configuration for storage of same.

Claim 33

Independent Claim 123 words

A method of manufacturing a seamless inflatable confinement for use in passive air bag restraint devices, which method comprises: inflating an inflatable mold to a predetermined size having an exterior surface of a desired shape; braiding textile yarns upon said exterior surface of said inflatable mold by diagonally crossing a plurality of said yarns such that each yarn alternates over and under one or more of the other yarns so as to form a seamless braided fabric structure of interlocked yarns in said desired shape; deflating said inflatable mold; and removing said seamless braided fabric structure from said mold to obtain an inflatable confinement capable of being inflated to said desired shape or being deflated to a compact configuration for storage of same.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 29 which further comprises selecting said yarns from the group consisting of polyester or nylon.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 29 which further comprises applying an elastomer coating to said structure after forming said desire shape.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 31 wherein said elastomer coating is chloroprene, acrylic, silicone, nitrile, urethane, butyl or EPDM, and cured prior to removing said structure from the mold.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-09-09	1995-03-11	1995-09-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-09-09	1999-03-11	1999-09-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-09-09	2003-03-11	2003-09-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Braided fabric structure for seamless fabric confinements

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